Anshul Kamboj's rise offers CSK a rare Indian fast-bowling cornerstone

Not too long ago, Anshul Kamboj walked off after a difficult Test debut in England knowing things had not gone to plan. He finished his sole outing at Old Trafford with figures of 18-1-89-1 in England's mammoth 669. His average speed hovered around the mid-120s and he lacked control, bowling only one maiden over. Kamboj hasn't played for India since then. But fast forward to May 2026, and Kamboj is the leading wicket-taker in IPL 2026.

The signs were there during the SMAT campaign, where he impressed for Haryana. Only three bowlers picked up over 20 wickets in that tournament and among them, Kamboj had the best economy rate.

There has been a sharp shift this IPL in how Chennai Super Kings have spread his quota of four overs around. Initially viewed as a new-ball specialist, CSK now trust him to operate at both ends of an innings.

Across 2024 and 2025 combined, 26 of the 31.3 overs he bowled came in the Powerplay. In 2026, among those who have bowled over 40 deliveries at the death, Kamboj has the best average, best strike rate and the highest dot-ball percentage.

His excellent use of the wide yorker has drawn praise. Kamboj's coach Satish Rana attributes it to the work he put in before the tournament. "Before the IPL camp, when he came to the academy, he would work a lot on the yorker, and wide yorker specifically," Rana said.

"He has really worked hard on improving his line and length. Playing at CSK, he is getting a lot of support from MS Dhoni. Both of them interact a lot. That's made him focus a lot on death-over bowling and he's benefitting."

Elaborating on the plan to consistently nail those yorkers, Rana praised Kamboj's ability to adapt quickly. "(From round the wicket) the batter doesn't get enough space. He's limiting batters in the final few overs."

Kamboj has been working with Rana since the age of 11 at his academy in Karnal. Glenn McGrath had a major influence on the youngster. "He would come around 4.30 or 5 in the morning and stay till evening. He had immense craze to play the game and to become a good cricketer."

As he transitioned into senior cricket, strong performances in the Ranji Trophy followed, highlighted by a historic 10-wicket haul in an innings against Kerala.

Rana brushes aside Kamboj's disappointing India debut as a case of 'bad luck'. "He just admitted that he couldn't put the ball where he wanted to," Rana said. "It's just about that one bad day."

Anshul Kamboj celebrates the wicket of Virat Kohli

Rana points out that the 24-year-old's body language and confidence have stood out recently. He pointed to Kamboj's recent dismissal of Virat Kohli as an example. "He hit him for a four off the first ball. As soon as Kohli advanced for the next ball, Anshul pulled his length back slightly. This is entirely a game of the mind."

Rana is now hopeful of Kamboj getting another crack at the international scene, potentially in the white-ball format given his recent transformation.

For now, the focus remains solely on CSK. Given his age and rapid rise, his tenure with CSK could easily extend beyond 2026. Teams in the IPL are always on the lookout for an Indian fast-bowling leader. Mumbai Indians have Jasprit Bumrah, Punjab Kings have Arshdeep Singh, while Kolkata Knight Riders will likely look to build around Harshit Rana.

Never in their history have CSK retained an Indian fast bowler ahead of a mega auction. But with age on his side, Kamboj could certainly force a rethink on that strategy by the end of next year. The likes of Mohit Sharma, Deepak Chahar and Shardul Thakur have done their bit for the franchise in the past. Now, there's a new name on the list, and he is tipped to surpass them all.